


a rainy night, just like any other

by izayoi_no_mikoto



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Domestic, Light Angst, M/M, Nonnies Made Me Do It, Quiet, Rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2019-01-05 13:37:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12190968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izayoi_no_mikoto/pseuds/izayoi_no_mikoto
Summary: On those dark, rainy nights, Gojyo can do nothing but be there.





	a rainy night, just like any other

Gojyo woke up when Hakkai stumbled out of bed.

There was nothing inherently strange about Hakkai getting up in the middle of the night; sometimes a man just needed to take a piss.  But even half-asleep, Hakkai was poised and self-controlled, every movement quiet and unobtrusive.  When he got up, he slid out of bed with barely a rustle of fabric, walked away with the softest of footsteps, and Gojyo normally slept right through it.

But Gojyo was awake right now–-his eyes bleary and his mind foggy, but awake.  Because instead of gliding away in near-silence, Hakkai was stumbling, his feet heavy on the hardwood, one hand thudding against the wall.

Gojyo shifted, let out a sleepy grunt, pushed himself upright and scrubbed his face with both hands.  By the time he got his eyes unpeeled, Hakkai was already gone, but Gojyo could hear him tromping through the kitchen.  It wasn't actually all that loud–-Gojyo made more noise when he was dead sober–-but for Hakkai, this was as good as stampeding through the house.

_What?_ Gojyo thought muzzily.  Then his brain reluctantly kicked into gear, and he heard something else-–the gentle, calming drumbeat of rain against the roof.

Gojyo bit off a groan and buried his face in one hand.  He allowed himself a moment to wallow-– _Well, fuck_ –-and then he raked back his mussed hair, grabbed his half-empty pack of cigs off the nightstand, and hauled himself out of bed.

It wasn't like there was much he could do.  The past was far beyond his reach. Hell, he wasn’t even any good at being comforting; even Sanzo would be better at this, in his own pissy way, what with his own rainy-day trauma.  But if there was one thing Gojyo really couldn't do, it was roll over and try to go back to sleep, wondering with each passing minute if this would be the moment that the lock clicked open and Hakkai walked right out the door, chasing something that was long gone, or maybe running from it.

So he followed Hakkai to the kitchen and paused in the doorway, gauging the situation.  Hakkai had turned on a single light, only just enough to see by; now he stood at the window, leaning against the wall and gazing out into the rain-streaked darkness.  He was closed in on himself, his shoulders hunched and his back stiff and lonely; his face reflected in the glass was utterly blank, his eyes unfocused and seeing something far, far away.  He hadn’t even stopped to put on his monocle.

Gojyo watched him for a few moments, feeling stupid and powerless, and then he sighed and stepped into the kitchen.  His first instinct was to grab a beer, but he resisted; one beer could easily become two or three, and this was not a situation where he wanted to be even the slightest bit buzzed.  Instead he snagged an ashtray, set it on the table, tapped a cigarette out of the pack, and lit it.

Hakkai twitched at the click of the lighter, but otherwise he didn’t acknowledge Gojyo's presence, barely even moved.  Gojyo exhaled a cloud of smoke and helplessness, then put on water for tea–-even he could manage that much.  Once the water was boiled and the tea steeped, he poured a cup with awkward hands and set it at Hakkai's place on the table, then slouched into his own seat and kept puffing.

For a long time, Hakkai didn't move, and Gojyo could do nothing but listen to the rain as he burned his cigarette down to the filter and lit a second.  He was finishing that cig and pondering number three when, out of the blue, Hakkai straightened.

Gojyo crushed his cigarette butt in the ashtray, watching from the corner of his eye.  At first, that was all, but then Hakkai turned around, graceful as ever, and faced Gojyo wearing an impeccable, gentle smile.

Gojyo knew better, but he didn’t say anything at all.

Hakkai paced over to the table and sat down.  The tea had long since gone cold, but he wrapped his hands around the cup anyway, drawing it close as though it held some residual warmth.  "Thank you for using an ashtray," he said.

Gojyo lit another cigarette.  The flame glowed in the dim kitchen.  Outside, the rain slowed to a soft, vague pitter-patter, and they sat together in silence until a sliver of dawn crept through the window.

**Author's Note:**

> (Inspired by the prompt: 100 words of rain)


End file.
